Apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles



May 30, 1950 s. s. SHERRILL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MAKING VULCANIZED ARTICLES Filed Oct so 1947 lNl/ENTOP 5; 3. ENERfi/L L Patented May 30, 1950 UITED STATES APPARATUSTOR ooN'rnrUousLY MAKING VULCANIZED ARTICLES Sloan S. Sherrill Baltimore, Md; assignor to' Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New- York n licationoctoberso, 1947, Serial No. 783,038

9 Claims.

This invention relates toapparatus for continuously making vulcanizedarticles; and-more particularly to apparatus-for cooling continuous lengths of filamentary vulcanized articlesemerging from vulcanizing tubes having steam under high pressure therein and for sealingthe steam in the vulcanizing tubes.

In the manufacture of filamentary articles having coverings of vulcanizable compounds over cores which include moisture, usuallypresent in elements of hygroscopic materials, such astextile materials, such a core issometimes passed through an extruder for extruding a covering of vulcanizable compound thereover, and then through a vulcanizingtube to vulcanize the covering. The vulcanizing tubehas steam at high temperature and under high pressuretherein; and heat from the steam is absorbed by all elements of the core. While the core is in thevulcanizing tubes and subject to theh-igh pressures of the steam on its outer surface, nodamage-is done. However, if the core is not cooled sufficiently before it is withdrawn intothe atmosphere, the stored heat will convert moisture inside the covering into steam, which is likely to create pressures suflicient to rupture or blister-thecovering.

In order to sufficiently cool the covering and the vaporized moisture while the coveringis still underahigh pressure, cold water under apressure substantially the sameas that-of the steam in the vulcanizing tube is 'sometimesintroduced into a seal-extendingfrom the exit of thevulcanizi-ng-tube. In the past; such sealshave required many pressure-reducingbattles with openings thereinsufiiciently large to prevent scraping the covered it cores, andmuchcooling water is lost therethroug h without fully utilizing the cooling potential thereof. Inorder to accommodate cov ered cores of various sizes-and shapes-, many sets oi -interchangeable bafiles having orifices of difierentsizes have been-required;

An object of the invention isto provide new and improved apparatus for continuouslymaking vulcanized articles.

A further object of i the invention -is to provide new and improved apparatus for preventing the escape of steam from vulcanizing tubes" into the atmosphere andfor cooling under external pressure. articles being withdrawn from-the tubes to reduce the internal pressure of heated moisture in the articles T suflicientlyl to prevent rupturing the articles, and to effect large reductions in the quantity of cooling and sealing water-required per unit of length of the articles.

An apparatus for continuouslymaking vulcanized articles illustrating certainfeatures'oftheinvention includes an elongated vulcanizingtube and a cooling and sealing tube connectedtc the exit end of l the vulcanizing tube. The cooling and sealing tube is provided'with a restricted portion spaced from but near tothe exit end thereof, and a water inlet'is positioned between theexit. end thereof and the restricted portion thereofa water outlet is provided beyond the restricted portion of the cooling and sealing tube from the: exit end thereof. A transversely perforated'noz-- zle' extends from the exit end of the cooling and, sealing tube to therestricted portion of the cool ing and sealing tube and provides an out-let passage for a vulcanized filamentary article. Water flowing through the restricted portion of the cooling and sealing tube from the inletthereoftdthe outlet creates a partial vacuum at the entrance end of the nozzle, and water flows through the perforations in the nozzle to prevent drawingair through the bushing.

A complete understanding of the inventionrnay be obtained from the following detailed des c'ripa tion of an apparatusforming a specific embodi-. ment thereof, when read in conjunction with the; appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an ap-- paratus embodyingcertain features of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, partially sec"- tional view of a portion of the apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown therein a continuous extruding and vulcanizing machine for forming and vulcanizing continuously a protective covering l0 (Fig. 1) around a core H, which may include conductive elements and hygroscopic textile elements, to form a, covered core. In forming the covering") upon the core II, the core is advanced continuously from a supply reel 12 at a high rate of speed by a capstan l5, and is advanced continuously from the supply capstan l5 bya takeup capstan 11 over a return sheave l8 to a takeup reel 20. As the core is drawn from the supply cap stan IE, it passes through an extruder 2|], which extrudes the covering ll] of vulcanizable compound thereover. The construction and operation of the extruder 2| and the capstans l5 and I! are substantially identical to the correspond ing elements disclosed and claimed in copendin'g; application Serial No. 697,809, filed September 18, 1946, by D. D. Jones for Apparatus for covering The covered core then passes into an; elongated vulcanizing tube 22, which has steam under a high pressure supplied thereto by a steam; pipe 25, whereby the covering of vulcanizable.-- compound is vulcanized as it is advanced through The covered core passes. from the vulcanizing tube directly into and through a pressure coolin and sealing unit Zfltothe sheave 18, from which it is advanced ttY tl fe capstan H. A splice box 28 connects thecdoling cores.

the vulcanizing tube.

and sealing unit to the vulcanizing tube.

Cold water under high pressure is-introduced; into a tube *30 of the-pressure cooling arra seaung;

unit 21 through an inlet pipe 32 connected to an annular manifold 33 formed around the tube 30 near the exit end thereof. Substantially all the water flows from the inlet pipe 32 through the annular manifold 33, a doubly tapered, restricted portion 34 of the tube 38 and the remainder of the tube 30 to an outlet pipe 36 connected to the entrance end of the tube. A standard temperature controlled reducing valve 31 connected to the outlet pipe 36 limits the flow of water through the tube 30 to that required to cool the covered core I I most efliciently.

As the water flows through the restricted portion of the tube 38, the velocity pressure thereof increases, and the static pressure thereof decreases. The decrease in static pressure is sufficient to cause the pressure on the water at the right hand end, as viewed in Fig. 2, of a nozzle 40 to be slightly lower than that of the atmosphere. The internal diameter of a passage 42 in the nozzle 40 is large enough to permit cov ered cores of any size and shape normally required to be advanced therethrough without abrading the covering thereon.

Inclined bleeding perforations 4I4l connecting the exterior of the nozzle 46 to the passage 42 therein permit suficient water to flow therethrough into the passage 42 to prevent drawing air through the nozzle into the tube 39, and permit a small portion of the water to escape with the covered core as the core is advanced through the passage 42 in the nozzle. Only a small portion of the water escapes even though the passage 42 in the nozzle is much larger than the covered core passing therethrough.

The nozzle 40 is provided with a threaded portion 43 designed to adjustably engage a tapped bore 48 formed in the end of the tube 30. Ihe pressure reduction efiected by the nozzle 46 and the restricted portion 34 may be increased by advancing the nozzle farther into the tube 33, and may be decreased by retracting the nozzle farther out of the tube 36. A lock nut 53 looks the nozzle in any adjusted position.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus described hereinabove, the covering IE3 is formed around the core H by the extruder 2|, and the resulting covered core is heated under pressure by high pressure steam introduced into the vulcanizing tube 22 to vulcanize the covering it. The cold water introduced into the exit end of the tube 33 of the pressure cooling and sealing unit is under a static pressure at the entrance end of the tube 33 sufiicient to maintain the steam in the vulcanizing tube 22. The water flows through the tube 38 counter to the direction of movement of the covered core and is heated by the core as the water cools the core. Thus, the water entering the tube 33 is heated as it flows therethrough, and the covered core is cooled as it is advanced through the tube so that substantially the same cooling effect is obtained upon each increment of the covered core throughout the portion thereof in the tube 35.

As the water flows through the restricted portion 34 of the tube as, its velocity increases and its static pressure decreases and creates a suction head at the right hand end of the nozzle 41. The water just leaving the manifold 33 has a high static pressure so that a small portion of it flows through the inclined perforations 4 i--4l into the passage 42. Most of this water entering the passage" through the perforations 4l-4l flows to the right through the passage 42, and th remainder of the water flows through the passage to the left end thereof. Hence, this water from the perforations prevents the low pressure head at the right end of the nozzle from drawing air into the tube 30. However, only a small portion of the water flows through the nozzle 40 with the covered core. After the water flows past the restricted portion 34 its velocity decreases and the static pressure thereof rises so that it balances the pressure of the steam in the vulcanizing tube 22 so that the steam is prevented from entering the tube 30.

The pressure cooling and sealing unit 2! serves to eifectively cool the covered core H under pressure, and all the water to the right of the restricted portion 34 of the tube 30 is under a static pressure as high as that of the steam in the vulcanizing tube 22. r The high pressure of the water expedites the cooling of the covered core and prevents any blistering of the covering Ii] from internal vapor pressures. Also, only the short space between the right hand end of the restricted portion 34 of the tube 30 and the exit end of the cooling and sealing unit is required for the abovedescribed elements which reduce the static pressure of the water from that of the steam to that of the atmosphere, often a reduction of as high as 260 pounds per square inch. The water per unit length of the covered core H required for the above-described unit tocool the covered core is only a small fraction of that required by cooling and sealing units of the baffle type. The abovedescribed unit may be adjusted easily to accommodate covered cores of different diameters. Such adjustments may be efiected merely by adjusting the position of the nozzle iii. The abovedescribed unit also may be strung up with much more ease than is possible with baffie-type cooling and sealing units.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles, which comprises an elongated vulcanizing tube, a cooling and sealing tube connected to the vulcanizing tube and provided with a restricted orifice therein spaced from but near to the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube, a water inlet positioned between the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube and the restricted portion thereof, a Water outlet positioned beyond the end of the restricted orifice removed from the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube, and a transversely perforated nozzle extending from the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube to the restricted orifice thereof.

2. An apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles, which comprises an elongated vulcanizing tube, a cooling and sealing tube connected to the vulcanizing tube and provided with a restricted orifice therein spaced from but near to the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube, a water inlet positioned between the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube and the restricted portion thereof, a Water outlet positioned beyond the restricted orifice from the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube, an an adjustable trans versely perforated nozzle extending from the exit end of the cooling and sealing tube to the restricted orifice thereof.

3. An an apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles including a vulcanizing chamher through which a filamentary article is advanced, a pressure cooling and sealing unit, which comprises a tube connected to the exit of the vulcanizing chamber through which tube the article is advanced, said tube having a predetermined diameter throughout a portion of its length and having a restricted portion near the exit end thereof substantially smaller in diameter than the first-mentioned portion thereof, a transversely perforated nozzle extending from the exit end of the tube to the restricted portion thereof, a water inlet connected to the tube at a point spaced beyond one end of the restricted portion of the tube, and a water outlet connected to the tube at a point spaced beyond the other end of the restricted portion of the tube.

l. In an apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles including a vulcanizing chamber through which a filamentary article is advanced, a pressure cooling and sealing unit which comprises a tube connected to the exit of the vulcanizing chamber through which tube the article is advanced, said tube having a predetermined diameter throughout a portion of its length and having a restricted portion near the exit end thereof substantially smaller in diameter than the first-mentioned portion thereof, a transversely perforated nozzle extending from the exit end of the tube to the restricted portion thereof, means for mounting the nozzle adjustably with respect to the tube, a water inlet connected to the tube at a point spaced beyond one end of the restricted portion of the tube, and a water outlet connected to the tube at a point spaced beyond the other end of the restricted portion of the tube.

5. In an apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles including an elongated vulcanizing chamber and means for introducing into the chamber a vulcanizing medium under a high pressure and at a high temperature, a pressure cooling and sealing unit, which comprises a tube having end portions having a diameter of at least a predetermined size and a tapered restricted orifice positioned between the end portions and having a diameter substantially smaller than those of the end portions at the smallest portion of the orifice, means for forcing a cooling medium through one end portion of the tube, the orifice and the other end portion of the tube, a transversely perforated nozzle having passages in the wall thereof and extending from one end of the tube to the orifice thereof, said nozzle serving to permit a filamentary article to be advanced therethrough, and means for adjusting the nozzle axially with respect to the orifice.

6. In an apparatus for continuously making vulcanized articles including an elongated vulcanizing chamber and means for introducing into the chamber a vulcanizing medium under a high pressure and at a high temperature, a pressure cooling and sealing unit which comprises a tube having end portions having a, diameter of at least a predetermined size and a tapered restricted orifice positioned between the end portions and having a diameter substantially smaller than those of the end portions at the smallest portion of the orifice, means for forcing a cooling medium through one end portion of the tube, the orifice and the other end portion of the tube, a transversely perforated nozzle having at least one passage from the outer periphery thereof to the inner periphery thereof and extending from one end of the tube to the orifice thereof, said nozzle serving to permit a filamentary article to be advanced therethrough, and means for adjusting the nozzle axially with respect to the orifice.

7. In an apparatus for making vulcanized articles including an elongated vulcanizing chamber and means for introducing into the chamber a vuicanizing medium under high pressure and at a high temperature, a pressure cooling and sealing unit, which comprises a tube connected to the vulcanizing chamber and having a tubular, double re-entry orifice positioned between the entrance end thereof and the exit end thereof at a point near the exit end thereof, said tube being provided with a tapped bore in the exit end thereof, means for introducing into the tube at a point between the exit end of the tube and the double re-entry orifice therein cold water under a static pressure substantially the same as that of the steam in the vulcanizing chamber, means for withdrawing the water from the tube near the entrance end of the tube, a, threaded tubular nozzle having passages connectin the outer and inner peripheries thereof and designed to be screwed to the tapped bore in the exit end of the tube for permitting a filamentary article to be advanced therethrough, and a lock nut for locking the nozzle in a predetermined position with respect to the orifice.

8. In an apparatus for making vulcanized articles including a vulcanizing chamber and means for introducing into the chamber a vulcanizing medium under a high pressure and at a high temperature, a pressure cooling and sealing unit which comprises a tube having an exit end and an entrance end connected to the vulcanizing chamber and having an annular manifold positioned at the exit end thereof, said tube also being provided with a restricted, double re-entry orifice positioned between the entrance end and the exit end thereof and also having a tapped bore in the exit thereof, a threaded nozzle having a tapered end portion and mounted in the tapped bore in the tube, means for introducing water in the annular manifold so that the water flows through the restricted orifice, and means for withdrawing water from the tube at a point near the entrance end of the tube.

9. In an apparatus for making vulcanized articles including a vulcanizing chamber and means for introducing into the chamber a vulcanizing medium under a high pressure and at a high temperature, a pressure cooling and sealing unit which comprises a tube having an exit end and an entrance end connected to the vulcanizing chamber and having an annular manifold positioned at the exit end thereof, said tube also being provided with a restricted double re-entry orifice positioned between the entrance end thereof and the exit end thereof and also having a tapped bore in the exit end thereof, a threaded nozzle having a tapered end portion and bores extending from the other periphery thereof to the interior thereof and mounted in the tapped bore in the tube, means for introducing Water into the annular manifold so that the water fiows through the orifice, and means for withdrawing water from the tube at a point near the entrance end of the tube.

SLOAN S. SHERRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,265,340 Kaman May '7, 1918 2,325,036 Case July 27, 1943 2,373,816 De Roche et a1 Apr. 17, 19% 

